The healthier your lips, the better they’ll look. Lipstick and lipliner can only take you so far in achieving a full, plump look. If your lips are chapped, dry, deflated, and dehydrated, no amount of makeup is going to make a significant difference. Properly taking care of your lips is the only thing that will dramatically improve their appearance from the inside out.
Vitamins and Hydration
The body needs several vitamins to produce collagen, which is key to healthy lips. Vitamins A, C, and E are used by the body to plump the skin, synthesize collagen proteins, and even reduce the appearance of scars. Without these vitamins, your body cannot supply your lips with the nourishment they need to appear full and soft. If you don’t take multivitamins every day, you might want to start now.
Water is just as important. Your skin, including the skin on your lips, is made of approximately 64% water. Chronic dehydration will cause the skin to shrivel up and lose its fullness. Make sure you’re drinking enough water every day.
Excessive amounts of caffeine and any amount of alcohol can dehydrate you. Water loss through sweat from exercise will also significantly reduce your hydration. Keep a big bottle of water with you and always be sipping!
Exfoliating Your Lips
In contrast with the skin of your face, your lips need a little extra help to exfoliate that dead skin. If it’s allowed to sit on the surface, it will accumulate into a thick, dry, peeling layer that looks bad and feels worse. Dead skin also acts as a barrier, preventing anything you put on your lips from being properly absorbed.
Lip scrubs work to gently remove dead skin buildup on the lips. Most of them are made of sugar, which is naturally grainy and slightly abrasive. Rubbing on some lip scrub in gentle, circular motions will help to loosen dry old skin and slough it off.
With that dead skin gone, the healthy, new skin underneath will rise to the surface. This skin will be softer, more supple, and highly responsive to anything you use to moisturize your lips. Frequent moisturizing will prevent chronically chapped lips.
Treating Your Lips
Regular exfoliation, proper vitamin intake, and adequate foundation will help to perk up dry and listless lips. The final step is to treat your lips to keep them in perfect condition. The best lip treatment will contain the naturally occurring compounds your body produces to repair skin. These ingredients are effective, gentle, and safe because they’re biocompatible. They won’t irritate your lips and will produce noticeable results with regular use.
One of the best treatment ingredients is hyaluronic acid. Our bodies produce hyaluronic acid to retain moisture in the skin. Each molecule of hyaluronic acid can draw and hold up to four molecules of water, improving the structure and softness of the skin it supports.
Because the body knows exactly how to use hyaluronic acid, it is a proven go-to moisturizing ingredient for skin cells, including your lips. Modern injectable lip fillers are all made of different variants of hyaluronic acid. If the injectable route isn’t for you, you’ll still see subtle and gradual improvements by applying hyaluronic acid topically. This approach works best while supplying your body with nutrients to replenish your internal stores as well.
During the day, use a lip treatment that contains SPF, especially at the beach or on the trail. The sun will dry out and damage your lips the same way it does to the rest of your skin.
Whole-body sun protection will always be vital to maintaining healthy skin. Try using a hyaluronic acid-infused lip treatment at night, to balance out the SPF. Slather in on generously before you go to sleep, and you’ll wake up with softer lips.
Conclusion
Follow these tips and you can see major improvements in your lips’ appearance and feel. It might take a few months to reverse the symptoms of neglect or improper care. Once you get your lips in great condition, however, it’s easy to keep them there for good.
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